How to fix Windows update error code 0x80244022?

Error 0x80244022 means that Windows Update asked a server for updates and got HTTP status 503 back: the service is temporarily overloaded. It is a connection answer, not a broken update or a damaged PC. Restart, wait a few hours and check again, then look for a VPN, a proxy or an old company update server.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What Windows update error code 0x80244022 means

Microsoft's list of Windows Update error codes puts 0x80244022 among the HTTP answers the update client can receive. Its name is WU_E_PT_HTTP_STATUS_SERVICE_UNAVAIL, and the description reads: "Same as HTTP status 503 - the service is temporarily overloaded." In plain words: Windows Update knocked on the server's door, and the answer was "too busy, come back later".

So the code says nothing bad about your PC. No file is damaged and no update is broken. Either the server really is busy, or something in the middle, a VPN, a proxy or a web filter, could not pass the request on and answered 503 itself.

Why Windows update error 0x80244022 appears

A 503 answer always comes from a server, never from a file on your disk. On a home PC the possible senders are few, listed below from the most likely to the least likely.

How to fix Windows update error code 0x80244022

Fix 1 is enough when the server was only busy. Fixes 2 and 3 remove a VPN or proxy that answers for the server. Fix 4 is for a PC that once belonged to a company or school. Fixes 5 and 6 clear a stuck update session, and Fix 7 gets one update past the problem by hand.

Fix 1. Restart, wait a few hours and check for updates again

A few hours of waiting, 2 minutes of workNo riskEveryone, first, and especially when the error appeared around a new monthly update.

Microsoft describes the code as a temporary overload. When the server itself is busy, nothing on your PC can make it answer faster, and the next try after the rush usually goes through.

1. Restart the PC once, so the update service starts a new session.
2. Leave the PC on and connected for a few hours. Do not press Check for updates again and again in the meantime.
3. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. On Windows 10 open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
4. If an update shows Download error - 0x80244022, select Retry next to it.
5. If it fails at once again, connect once to another network, for example your phone's hotspot, and check there.

Fix 2. Disconnect the VPN, turn off a manual proxy and check for updates again

5 minutesNo riskThe error stays after a day, or a VPN, proxy or filter app is installed.

When a VPN or proxy server is overloaded or cannot reach Microsoft, it answers 503 on Microsoft's behalf. With it off, the request goes straight to the update server.

1. Disconnect your VPN and close any proxy, ad blocking or parental filter app that routes your traffic.
2. Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. On Windows 10 open Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy.
3. Under Manual proxy setup, check whether Use a proxy server is on. If you did not set it on purpose, turn it off.
4. Restart the PC.
5. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.

Fix 3. Check the system proxy with netsh winhttp and reset it

5 minutesLow riskThe error stays with the VPN off, or a VPN or proxy program was installed on the PC before.

Windows Update connects through WinHTTP, which has its own proxy setting. A proxy left there by an old program does not show in Settings, but it still carries every update request, and when it is down or busy the answer is 503.

1. Press Win + S, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
2. Type netsh winhttp show proxy and press Enter.
3. If the answer is Direct access (no proxy server), the system proxy is not the cause. Go to Fix 4.
4. If it names a proxy server and you do not use one on purpose, type netsh winhttp reset proxy and press Enter.
5. If your network really needs a proxy and your browser works through it, type netsh winhttp import proxy source=ie instead.
6. Restart the PC and select Check for updates in Settings > Windows Update.

netsh winhttp show proxy
netsh winhttp reset proxy

Fix 4. Check whether the PC is set to a WSUS server and remove an old policy

10 minutesRead the warningA used or former work or school PC, or a PC that once had a tool that changed update settings.

A PC can be told to get its updates from a company WSUS server instead of Microsoft. If that server's web service is stopped, overloaded or gone, every scan ends with an error such as 0x80244022, and no fix on the PC itself helps.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator, as in Fix 3.
2. Type reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /s and press Enter.
3. If Windows says it was unable to find the key, there is no such policy. Go to Fix 5.
4. If the output shows an http:// or https:// address, often with port 8530 or 8531, the PC is set to use a WSUS server.
5. On a PC that a company or school still manages, stop here and send that address and the error code to your IT team.
6. On your own PC with a leftover setting, back up the key first: Back up the registry before editing it.
7. Then type reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /f and press Enter.
8. Restart the PC and select Check for updates.

Fix 5. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

5 minutesNo riskThere is no proxy and no policy, and the error stays after a day and a restart.

The troubleshooter restarts the update services and drops a stuck session, so the next check opens a fresh connection instead of repeating the request that got the 503 answer.

1. Open Troubleshoot settings. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot.
2. Open the list of troubleshooters. Select Other troubleshooters.

   

3. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Under Most frequent, select Run next to Windows Update. The Get Help app opens and starts the checks.

   

4. Read the result. Wait until Get Help finishes. If it found and fixed a problem, it says so and asks whether this solved the problem. Answer the question so it can offer the next step.

   

5. Restart the PC. Restart when the troubleshooter finishes, even if it does not ask you to.
6. Check for updates again. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, and install the updates it finds.

These steps were written for Windows 11 (screenshots: 26H2). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Fix 6. Reset the Windows Update components

10 minutesLow riskThe troubleshooter found nothing, and you have a direct connection without a proxy.

Renaming the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders clears the list of half-finished downloads, so Windows Update starts a new session with the server instead of retrying the old one.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Stop the update services. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. If Windows says that other services depend on Cryptographic Services, it stops them too. A message that a service is not started is fine.

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc

3. Delete the download queue files. This clears the list of downloads that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service keeps. If Windows says it cannot find the files, continue.

   del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. Rename the update cache folders. Renaming keeps a copy in case you need it; Windows creates new, empty folders when the services start again. If you get Access is denied, a service is still running: repeat the previous step.

   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

5. Start the services again. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. The requested service has already been started is fine: Windows started it on its own.

   net start cryptsvc
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

6. Restart and check for updates. Restart the PC. Then select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. The first check can take longer than usual because everything is downloaded again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset Windows Update components

Fix 7. Install the update by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog

10 minutesLow riskOnly one update keeps failing, or you are on a network you cannot change.

The catalog download goes through your browser and another download address, not through the Windows Update service. The update then installs from the file, without the request that gets the 503 answer.

1. Check your Windows version. Press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter. Note the version (for example 25H2) and the OS build.
2. Find the KB number. Open Settings > Windows Update. A failed or pending update is listed with its KB number; earlier ones are under Update history.
3. Check the processor type. Open Settings > System > About and look at System type: an x64-based PC needs the x64 file, an ARM-based PC (for example Snapdragon) needs the arm64 file.
4. Search the catalog. Open the Microsoft Update Catalog at catalog.update.microsoft.com in your browser, type the KB number (for example KB5124010) in the search box and press Enter.
5. Pick the right row. Find the row whose title names your Windows version and your processor type (x64-based or arm64-based) and select Download on that row.
6. Download every file listed. A window lists one or more .msu links. Download all of them into one empty folder, for example C:\packages. On Windows 11 24H2 and later the list can include earlier checkpoint updates that the new one needs.
7. Install a single file. If there is only one file, double-click it and confirm the installation in the Windows Update Standalone Installer.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later; Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Install an update from the Microsoft Update Catalog

If the error 0x80244022 is still there

When the fixes did not help, the 503 answer comes from a part of the network you do not control, or from a WSUS server that someone else runs. The update log tells you which server answered.

1. Open PowerShell as administrator, type Get-WindowsUpdateLog and press Enter. It writes WindowsUpdate.log to your desktop.
2. Open the file and search for 0x80244022. The lines around it name the server address Windows Update tried to reach.
3. A Microsoft address means the Microsoft service or a proxy on the way was busy. A company address with port 8530 or 8531 means a WSUS server.

How to keep error 0x80244022 from coming back

If a security suite with its own web filter or proxy is installed, pausing its protection for one check shows whether it is the filter that answers 503. Turn it back on right after: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment

Frequently asked questions

What does error code 0x80244022 mean?

It means HTTP status 503: the server Windows Update contacted is temporarily overloaded. Microsoft names the code WU_E_PT_HTTP_STATUS_SERVICE_UNAVAIL. The update is fine and your PC is not damaged. Either the Microsoft or company update server was too busy, or a VPN, proxy or filter between your PC and the server could not pass the request on. Restart, wait a few hours and check again before you change anything.

What does "There were some problems installing updates, but we'll try again later" mean with 0x80244022?

It is the general Windows 10 message for an update that did not finish, and the code in brackets says why. With (0x80244022) the reason is a busy server answer, HTTP 503, not a damaged file and not a lack of space. Windows will retry on its own, and on release day the retry often works. If the message stays for more than a day, work through Fix 2 and Fix 3 on this page.

What does "Download error - 0x80244022" mean on Windows 11?

It is the Windows 11 way of showing the same code next to one update in Settings > Windows Update. That one download got a 503 answer from the server or a proxy. Select Retry next to the update after a few hours. If only that update keeps failing while others install, download it by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog as in Fix 7. If every update fails, check the VPN and proxy first.

What is error 0x8024402D, and is it the same as 0x80244022?

They are close but not the same. 0x80244022 is HTTP 503, a server that is temporarily overloaded. 0x8024402D means the update server is shedding load and turns requests away, which often shows the same Windows 10 message. Both point at a busy server or something on the way to it, so waiting, the VPN and proxy checks and the WSUS check help with both. Read our guide to Windows Update error 0x8024402D.

How do I fix Microsoft Store error code 0x80244022?

The Microsoft Store downloads apps through the same update service, so the same causes apply: a busy server, a VPN or a proxy. Wait a few hours and try the download again, then turn off the VPN and proxy as in Fix 2 and Fix 3. If only the Store fails while Windows Update works, clear the Store cache and repair the app: Reset the Microsoft Store. The message "Failed to install or upgrade Microsoft Store package" is the same answer seen by an app installer.

What does "Windows Update failed to check for updates with error 0x80244022" mean?

It is a log line, usually in Event Viewer or on PCs that report to WSUS or Configuration Manager. It says the scan, the search for updates, got the 503 answer. On a home PC, follow Fix 1 to Fix 3. On a managed PC, it often means the company's WSUS server is not answering. Microsoft's guide for scan failures asks the administrator to test the connection to the server's ClientWebService and SimpleAuthWebService addresses.

Does 0x80244022 mean my Windows 11 or Windows 10 is broken?

No. The code is an answer from a server, so it says nothing about the health of your Windows. That is why the usual advice, system file checks or a full reset, does not touch the cause. The fixes are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, and Windows 10 22H2 still gets security updates only through Extended Security Updates.

Should I turn off my antivirus or change the date and time to fix 0x80244022?

No to both. An antivirus does not answer with HTTP 503, so turning it off for good does not fix this code and leaves the PC open. The only exception is a security suite with its own web filter or proxy: pause it for one check and turn it back on right after. A wrong clock breaks secure connections with other errors, not with a 503. Keep the clock correct anyway, but it is not the fix here.

What if my question is not in English?

This page covers Windows Update error 0x80244022 in every language version of Windows. The Japanese message that ends with (0x80244022) is the same Windows 10 message as the English one, and the fixes are the same. Settings names follow your Windows language, so look for the same place in the menu: Windows Update, Network and internet, Proxy.